I could not understand the meaning of "without" in this sentence and it seems redundant. The sentence is taken from the novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker.
As the door began to open, the howling of wolves without grew louder and angrier.
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8At the time "Dracula" was written, without was an adverb meaning outside, as well as a preposition. This usage is no longer current.– TonyKJul 20, 2016 at 22:44
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1The Beatles song Within You Without You from the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, takes advantage of this double meaning.– TecBratJul 21, 2016 at 17:27
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2 Answers
It means outside.
Dictionary.com has this:
adverb
6. in or into an exterior or outer place; outside.
7. outside a house, building, etc.: The carriage awaits without.
Note that several dictionaries consider this usage archaic. In Bram Stoker's Dracula it seems fitting, though :)
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11The opposite word, "within" in the sense of "inside", is possibly less archaic than "without." The Scottish word "outwith" is also not archaic, but it usually refers to things or abstract concepts rather than location - e.g. the minutes of a meeting might state that some item was "outwith the terms of reference of the committee." It's often used by Scots living outwith Scotland, where British or American English would use "outside". Jul 20, 2016 at 17:45
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2I'd like to clarify that, while it is indeed archaic, it is also still correct English. (IMO, an important distinction to make for people who want to learn English)– anonJul 21, 2016 at 5:14
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2See also the hymn "There is a green hill far away / without a city wall", where 'without' does not mean 'lacking' but simply 'outside'– AakashMJul 21, 2016 at 7:43
Traditionally, "without" can mean anything outside of a possible remit. Today it is used largely for ownership ("He left without his coat"), but it can also be locational, in this case outside of the door. It's use in the locational sense is rarely used these days, but was more common up to the 19th Century.
Consider it an antonym of "within" in this context.
adverb
6. in or into an exterior or outer place; outside.
7. outside a house, building, etc.: The carriage awaits without.
